Apparatus for the therapeutic application of chlorine



July 24, 1928. 1,678,625

- c. F. WALLACE ET AL APPARATUS FOR THE THERAPEUTIC APPLICATION OF CHLORINE 18, 1924 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed June INVENTOR C, 5, WM

By M a/vlov AT RNEY Jul 24, 1928.

C. F. WALLACE ET AL APPARATUS FOR THE THERAPEUTIC APPLICATION OF CHLORINE Filed June 18, 1924 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTORS AT ORNEY A Patented July 24, 1928.

N TED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES E. WALLACE, OF WESTFIELD, AND JOHN C. BAKER, i NUTLEY, vNEW JER- SEY, ASSIGNORS TO WALLACE dc TIERNAN PRODUCTS, INC., OF BELLEVILLE, NEW JERSEY, A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY.

APPARATUS FOR THE THERAPEUEEIC APPLICATION OF CHLORINE.

Application filed June 18,

It has long been known that chlorine is a powerful sterilizing and disinfecting agent, particularly of water and for t i purposeits use at the present time is widel extended. Recent investigations have established the fact that its peculiar properties are available in a much wider field of usefulness and that when mixed with 'a certain and definite proportion of atmospheric air it has a remarkable therapeutic value when inhaled, in the illevialtion arlild cure of cci;

za, la n 'tis ronc itis, w ooping coug iid oth ei I e spii'atory diseases in which the infecting organisms are located on the sur- 1'5 face of the mucous membranes of the respiratory organs.

The difliculty encountered heretofore, however, has been to provide means for conveniently and economically generating the gas and diluting it with air in such proportions as to secure favorable therapeutic re-' sults without causing undue irritation to the respiratory passages. It is well known, for example, that chlorine in even moderately strong concentration is extremely irritating and dangerous to inhale. On the other hand, in very low concentration, it has practically no therapeutic value, but it has been definitely determined that in concentrations of 10 p. p. m. of air or .015 milligrams per liter of air, it has very beneficial results in alleviating or curing the above mentioned infections when inhaled for a certain period, approximately one hour at a time.

Heretofore, in conducting applications of dilutions of this kind, it has been customary to utilize a relatively large confined space, such as a room, and to introduce .therein from a cylinder of compressed chlorine,

m measured quantities of the gas, maintaining the concentration of the same in the room by admitting additional gas continuously at slow rates. of frequent chemical determinations of the 5 proportions of chlorine in the room in order to secure the proper and desired concentra tion of 10 p. p. rm These determinations must be made at close intervals because of the fact that chlorine is rapidly absorbed so b the furnishings in the room, by the cl bthing of the occupants, by the diiiusion into the walls and by the escape of the gas through windows or any other and small But this requires the making.

1924. Serial No. 720,730.

openings which are necessarily present. Furthermore, when a group of patients is being treated in such a room, a certain amount of ventilation is essential and there will manifestly be an escape ofchlorine from the room through the ventilating openings. Under these conditions the maintenance of the proper dilution is inconvenient and calls for the exercise of both care and skill.

We have devised an apparatus for extendmg the benefits of this treatment which is more particularly adapted for physicians as use or generally in the treatment of individual patients when the facilities of the hospital equipments are not available. In this apparatus the proper concentration of the chlorine is readily maintained by its generation in a small compact cell, by forcing a quantity of air overthe generating side of the cell to remove the chlorine as fast as generated and reuniting this mixture with a mam flow of air which is then directed through a suitable passage to a hood or mask for a person to inhale conveniently and continuously for the desired period of time.

The quantity of chlorine generated is determined by the strength of the current employed', and. may be exactly and readily regulated by the use of an ammeter. The proper proportions of air used for its di lution 1s regulated by the use of a meter so that bythese means the proportion of the 5 two may be so controlled as to give the exact concentration which has been found to be most effective.

A special advantage results from the use of this apparatus from the fact that we can use hydrochloric acid as the electrolyte from a which the chlorine is generated. When ordinary sodium chlorid is used a base is released, such as sodium, and complications arise'which make it extremely diflicult to secure the generation of a chlorine of a constant strength. By the use of hydrochloric acid, however, no base is liberated in the decomposition .and the only products liberated are hydrogen and chlorine, the former of which is allowed to escape from the cell into the atmosphere, while the chlorine is mixed with' the air and inhaled by the patient. By the use of hydrochloric acid, moreover,'the ammeter will indicate exactly 106 the theoretical amount of chlorine which is being liberated during the entire treatment, and this is not possible with any other such electrolyte as sodium chlorid. I

Our improved apparatus is illustrated in the drawing hereto annexed in which:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the complete device. a

Fig. 2 is a top plan and part sectional viedw of the parts contained within the case, an

Fig. 3 isa schematic view of the main parts in central longitudinal section.

The apparatus comprises a box or casing 1, in which there is secured an electric motor 2 driving a fan 3, which draws the outside air in or through a passage 4, and forcesit out through the passage 5, in which there is a Venturi constriction 6. Connected to the opposite sides of this constriction is an ordinary air indicating meter 7 of any proper character.

Within the case there is a chlorine generating cell with a removable cup 8, supported upon a member 9, which should be so designed as to permit the ready removal of the cup. The cell is provided with a porous diaphragm or jar 10 which is inert to the action of chlorine, having on the outside an electrode 11, and on the inside a suitable electrode 12, at which the chlorine is liberated. This diaphragm enters a recess in a member 13, which supports it and which forms under it a chamber space 14 into which there leads the passage 15 and from which there extends a passage 16 connected to the throat of the venturi.

To the outside of the case 1 are secured the two binding posts 17 and 18, the former connected through wire 19 with an ammeter 20, a rheostat 21, and thence to the electrode 12. While to the latter is connected the outer electrode 11, thus forming a complete circuit. Current for this circuit is furnished by any suitable source of low voltage electric current, such as a dry battery which is not shown.

To the other end of the tubular passage 4 is connected a hood or a flexible flaring tubular arrangement 22 which is heldup over the face of a person under treatment so that he may inhale the mixture of chlorine and air which is delivered into it.

The operation of this device is as follows. A suitable electrolyte, preferably hydrochloric acid, is poured into the cell cup 8 up to a predetermined level. The motor 2 is then set in operation by any convenient source of power whereupon the fan 3 draws air in and forces it out through the passage 5, and the Venturi constriction 6 into the flexible tube 22. Because of the constriction a slight suction is produced at this point which drawsair down through the, passage 15 into the diaphragm chamber and out through the passage 16.

It being known from the ammeter reading just what current is required to generate the proper amount of chlorine, the rheostat 21 is adjusted by a handle 231, and turned to secure the predetermined reading of the ammeter which is sufficient to produce the proper proportion of chlorine for the volume of air flowing through the Venturi tube and which is exactly indicated by the air meter 7. Current is then directed through the electrolytic cell. i

The chlorine which is thereby generated at the electrode 12 is drawn off as fast as produced by the current of air through the passages 15 and 16 and mingled with the main flow of air in the tube 22. A patient inhaling this mixture will receive the exact predetermined concentration of chlorine which has been found to be most effective. Greater or less concentration may be immediately secured by either changing the quantity of air passing through the apparatus, leaving the generation of chlorine constant, or leaving the air flow constant and changing the amount of chlorine generated by adj usting' the rheostat.

It will be observed that the apparatus is designed for and operates to produce a controlled concentration of chlorine with regard to the amount of the mixture of chlorine and air. The actual amount of such mixture produced is and must besubstantially greater than that which a patient can breathe, for if only such amount as is inhaled were supplied to the mask its proper concentration would be impaired by such of the chlorine as would be absorbed by the patients skin, his exhalation and the materials of the mask, and diluted not only by the exhalations but by such outside air as might gain access to the mask.

Care must also be taken to use a mask of definite and proper character. It must, for example, be so constructed as to fit closely the bridge of the nose or the patients face immediately below his eyes, as otherwise the latter would be irritated by any chlorine that might escape at a point close to the eyes. For this purpose a mask such as shown in the drawings, with an extended portion 23 at the top and a cut away lower port-ion at the bottom, should be employed. With such a mask and the flow of an excess of the mixture, all of the latter which is not inhaled together with the exhalations, will pass oft freely to the atmosphere without injury to the patient or inconvenience in its use.

This apparatus may be built of larger capacity for generating chlorine mixtures in volume suitable for charging rooms or chambers occupied by more than one person instead of supplying such mixtures in quantity sufficient only for treating individuals.

What we claim as our invention is:- 1. In an apparatus for the therapeutical application of chlorine, the combination of means for producing a flow of air, a passage for such air having a constriction such with the air flow and means or conducting the mixture to the point of application.

2. In an apparatus for the therapeutical application of chlorine, the combination with means for producing a flow of air, a passage for such air having a Venturi constriction therein, means for measuring the air flow associated therewith, an electrolytic cell for generating chlorine, a passage from the chlorine side of the cell to the main air passage, and means for conducting the mixture of gas and air to the point of application.

3. In an apparatus of the character described, the combination with devices for drawing a main air current through the apparatus, of a gauge for indicating the rate of flow for said current, apparatus for generating chlorine by electrolysis of an electrolyte, such as hydrochloric acid, a Venturi throat and connections whereby the main air current operates the gauge and induces a secondary air current through said generating apparatus to carry oil the chlorine generated, control devices comprising an indicator and a manually operable regulator for varying the rate of electrolysis and means constructed to protect the eyes of the patient for conducting the flow of the mixture of chlorine and air past the nose and mouth of the patient.

4. In an apparatus for the therapeutical application of chlorine, the combination with an air fan, a passage from the fan having a Venturi constriction, an air meter associated therewith, a chlorine generating cell, a passage for conducting the chlorine into said air passage, means for controlling and indicating the amount of chlorine produced, and means for conducting the mixture of gas and air to a point Where "it may be inhaled by a patient.

I In testimony whereof we hereto afiix our signatures.

- CHARLES F. WALLACE.

JOHN C. BAKER. 

